Coach Nicholas Wong (centre) with Marceeta (from left), Nelcy, Kevdylan and Elly.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah female weightlifters Nelcy Tunik, Elly Cassandra and Merceeta Marlyn Marcus are well on track to secure a place in the national squad for the Vietnam SEA Games 2021.
The trio set new national records in their respective categories in Malacca on Wednesday to enhance their chances of making the final squad.
The new records were achieved at the on-going National Junior Weightlifting Championship-cum-SEA Games 2021 Internal Selection Tournament at the Jasin District Police Headquarter multi-purpose hall.
Nelcy, Elly and Marceeta are part of the National Sports Council (NSC) squad in the tournament.
Elly (left) and Nelcy were all smiles after setting new national records in the on-going national junior-cum-SEA Games 2021 selection tournament in Malacca.
Competing in the women’s 55kg division, Elly set a new national record with her total of 175kg having successfully lifted 80kg in Snatch and 90kg for Clean & Jerk.
Nelcy registered 151kg total to set a new record for the the women’s 49kg division. She lifted 65kg in Snatch and 86kg for Clean & Jerk.
Marceeta meanwhile lifted 81kg (Snatch) and 107kg (Clean & Jerk) to set a new national record in the women’s 59kg category with the total of 188kg.
They also won their respective categories enroute to setting the new records.
Kevdylan Wong, the other Sabahan athlete competing the championship, finished with a silver medals in the men’s 67kg weight division.
Kevdylan, who is pursuing his studies in Johor, lifted 110kg for Snatch and 150kg for Clean & Jerk for the total of 260kg.
Meanwhile, Sabah Weightlifting Association president Philip Gisan expressed hope that Elly, Nelcy and Marceeta would be selected for the SEA Games in Vietnam.
He said the trio had already been included in the tentative list of the national squad.
“The MWF (Malaysian Weightlifting Federation) Selection Committee and NSC will meet after the end of the tournament to set the athletes qualifying criteria for SEA Games 2021.
“Hopefuly all three of them will be included in the final squad,” said Philip here Wednesday.